Wish List 2018: 48 Gift Ideas That Everyone Will Connect With

From electric wheels to smart home hubs, this year's holiday picks will delight tinkerers, travelers, and lovers of timeless design.

01

Vanmoof

Electrified S2

Price$3398

Vanmoof banishes bulky batteries by hiding a 504-watt-hour cell inside this ebike’s 42-pound frame. The front-wheel motor has a city-shrinking 93-mile range, can pump out 500 hill-killing watts, and will hit 20 mph. Even if some knucklehead conquers the built-in lock, a GPS tracker will help you (well, the cops) recover your steed.

The Night Sky

Postcard Set

Price$19

Perhaps the best gift is a gentle reminder of how tiny we are in the universe. Each postcard in this set of 50 features an image of the cosmos, from ancient star maps to NASA archival photos, like Apollo 16’s shot of the far side of the moon. Pin them up for inspiration, or buy some stamps (remember those?) and mail them to distant stargazers.

BioLite

FirePit

Price$200

How do real campers tame fire? With Bluetooth! Ignite your fuel (charcoal or dead trees) in the FirePit’s mesh body, then dial the flames up or down in the app, which controls 51 teeny air jets in the burn chamber. In addition to stoking the fire, the jets keep the smoke in check. The rechargeable power pack is good for up to 24 hours of computer-controlled burn.

Leica

L2

Price$16500

Cameras and watches share mechanical DNA, which Leica is celebrating with its new line of timepieces. Assembled at the company’s Leitz-Park campus, this 41-mm manual watch ticks for 60 hours between windings and features a jet-setter-friendly GMT complication. The brushed steel L2 even sports Leica’s iconic red dot on its crown.

Playtime Engineering

Blipblox

Price$189

Blipblox might be designed for DJs ages 3 and up, but this is no rinky-dink xylophone. The easy-to-use synthesizer has pro-ready features like MIDI support, multiple modulation filters, and an integrated drum machine. So your tot can mix beats before bedtime, then you can “borrow” it for your own midnight set.

Kano

Harry Potter Coding Kit

Price$100

Skip the trip to Ollivanders and pick up this coding wand instead. The Kano app for tablets and computers gives Hogwarts hopefuls step-by-step instructions to build JavaScript routines. A wave of the wand casts an enchanting onscreen spell to levitate a feather, play a ghostly harp, or float a butterbeer.

Apple

Watch Series 4

Price$399

The latest Apple Watch is an upgrade over the last version in almost every way, with a display that’s 30 percent larger and a new sensor array that can perform an electrocardiogram to spot an irregular ticker. Just remember, you’ll need an iPhone to use the thing.

Firewire Surfboards

Go Fish

Price$765

With shapes optimized by computational fluid-dynamics software, Firewire’s surfboards would be a blast to ride even if they didn’t meet the eco-friendly standards set by Sustainable Surf’s Ecoboard program. This versatile keel-fin fish is meant to tackle midsize waves and keep the ocean a little bit cleaner along the way.

HamiltonBuhl

STEAM Robo-Arm Kit for Arduino

Price$184

Tireless, indestructible—every kid wants to be part robot. Now your offspring can live the cyber dream. This programmable arm has grippers with treads to help grasp objects. Your budding engineer can teach it up to 100 movements as they learn coding, automation, and the basics of its Arduino brain.

Heavy Eyes

Shark Kinetic Toy Kit

Price$25

This flat-pack sculpture kit is a crafty take on the bloodthirsty terror of Amity Island. Bend the 16 vinyl flaps, secure them with the included screw-pegs, and a 14-inch great white slowly emerges. Gently wiggle the assembled elasmobranch to admire the serene swing of its tail.

Tile

Pro

Price$35

Attach one of these wireless trackers to anything you might lose—wallet, phone, remote, dog—and see its last known location in the app or make it chirp audibly so the precious is easier to find. The newly updated Tile Pro has an extended range of 300 feet and runs on replaceable coin cell batteries that last at least a year.

Microsoft

Xbox Design Lab Controller

Price$70

You wouldn’t play Fallout without carefully crafting your character. Xbox Design Lab lets you give the same bespoke attention to your controller. Choose from a variety of colors and finishes for the body of the controller. If you’re feeling extra proud, you can get your gamertag stamped on the front.

Roland

Aerophone Go

Price$500

Learn a new wind or reed instrument, minus all the skronking. Finger the keys of Roland’s digital horn to draw out the simulated tones of 11 instruments, including flute, clarinet, and four types of sax. Unlock 50 more sounds— from bagpipes to strings—in the app. Practicing late at night? Plug in headphones to jam in private.

Amazon

Echo Sub

Price$130

Amazon’s Echo speakers are fun to chat with, but they don’t really get down. The Echo Sub is here to help and will pump a lot more bass into Alexa’s DJ sets. The 6-inch downward-firing speaker, powered by a 100-watt onboard amp, wirelessly pairs with an Echo or Echo Plus speaker—or two of the same Echo devices for stereo sound.

Petronics

Mousr

Price$150

Your cat thinks it’s so smart. Let’s see if it can outwit a semi-sentient toy. The sensors in this “mouse” detect your cat’s movements so it can react accordingly, flicking its tail or scurrying to and fro. With three levels of robotic excitability, an app-controlled mode, and 10 swappable tail types, your clawed menace will never get bored.

Salt + Aether

Voyage

Price$650

A collaboration between eyewear designer Salt Optics and outdoor clothing outfit Aether Apparel, these shades are handmade in Japan, with polarized, photochromic lenses, light titanium frames, and wind-blocking silicone side shields. Like James Bond, they’re meant to tackle adventure and look sharp peering over a martini.

Facebook

Portal+

Price$350

A Facebook device with a camera on it? We hear you—but the Portal+ makes video chat so delightful, you might be won over. The AI-powered camera software zooms in to tightly frame whoever’s speaking. And it comes with a privacy cap you can snap over the lens when you don’t want Mark Zuckerberg to see what you’re up to.

AGV

X3000 Ago Helmet

Price$700

The new Legends helmet series from AGV replicates the designs of brain buckets worn by Moto GP superstars like Giacomo Agostini and Renzo Pasolini. The Agostini helmet’s old-school style is matched with modern safety and comfort features, such as sturdy double D-ring fasteners and machine-washable padding.

Symbol Audio

Modern Record Player

Price$3295

If you want to enjoy the past while living in the present, give this record player a spin. Its audiophile-grade turntable sits atop a case housing a 25-watt-per-channel amp and a trio of speakers. When it’s time to go digital, there’s a compartment for hiding a Chromecast, Airport Express, or Sonos Connect.

Lomography

Sprocket Rocket Teal 2.0

Price$69

This funky camera is an unexpected treat for the photographer who has everything. It shoots wide panoramic images across multiple frames of 35-mm film, exposing the whole surface, even around the sprocket holes. Toss in some rolls of Lomochrome Purple film and they’ll be snapping artsy panos for weeks.

Blu Dot

Filter Table Lamp

Price$299

Most table lamps fade into your decor, but Blu Dot’s light leaves an impression. Instead of a simple shade, it uses perforated, powder-coated steel plates on either side to diffuse and soften the shine. It comes in four eye-catching colors, and the cloth cord includes a mood-altering dimmer switch.

Laowa

Macroprobe

Price$1500

Surprise the inquisitive photographer in your life with a clever macro device for their DSLR. Designed to capture close-ups of tiny subjects, this 24-mm, f/14 lens has a waterproof barrel and built-in LEDs that lets them snap portraits of insects or ambush fish in a stream, unlocking an exciting new world for exploration.

Master & Dynamic

MW07

Price$299

These new wireless buds from Master & Dynamic have a striking acetate finish and the sound to match, with high-performance beryllium drivers and wings that help fasten them to your ears to form a bass-optimizing seal. Battery life is solid too—good for 3.5 hours of rocking between visits to the charging case.

Audi

E-tron

Price$74800

Sure, Audi’s first fully electric car comes to the US without the drag-cutting, range-boosting cameras that replace side-view mirrors in the EU version—blame our regulations. But you can still go around 200 miles per charge and hit 60 mph in sub-6 seconds, in an SUV stuffed with the design savvy that comes with the four-ringed badge.

Fitbit

Charge 3

Price$149

The Charge is Fitbit’s best-selling activity tracker, and for good reason: It offers step counting, workout tracking, and heart-rate measuring, all without the weight, expense, or complexity of most smartwatches. The third generation has a more accurate heart-rate-sensing module and lasts up to seven days on a single, er, charge.

Boss

Katana-Air

Price$400

Along with doodling album covers and dreaming up groovy names, tripping over your cables is part of being in a band. Tidy up your practice space with Boss’ wireless amplifier. Plug the included transmitter into your ax and get everything from a glassy shimmer to a raw crunch from the 30-watt amp. It even wakes up automatically when you pick up your guitar.

Rothy's

The Sneaker

Price$125

Rothy’s 3D-knitted footwear uses a proprietary yarn manufactured from recycled plastic water bottles. Like the company’s other shoes, the Sneaker is a machine-washable, sockless slip-on and comes in nine vibrant colors (garnet!). It’s comfortable enough to become the shoes your feet request every morning.

"All Over the Map"

Betsy Mason and Greg Miller

Price$50

This beautiful tome by WIRED alumni Betsy Mason and Greg Miller charts the fascinating history of cartography. The scores of maps in the book range from the whimsical (origins of meats supplied to Parisian butchers) to the political (North Dakota fracking sites) to the fantastical (Jerry Gretzinger’s imaginary world).

Nimble

5-Day Fast Portable Charger

Price$60

Battery packs are handy, but the environmental impact of electronics is out of hand. Let your giftee rest easy—this juice box is made from eco-friendly bioplastics and recyclable aluminum. Support for USB-C and the new Power Delivery standard means they can top off any device without ticking off Mother Nature.

Yoshiharu Hamono

Penato Knife

Price$12

The century-old Japanese firm Yoshiharu Cutlery earned its stripes handcrafting chisels. Now it makes elegant knives like this pocketable specimen. Its take on a Kiridashi utility knife pairs a carbon-steel blade with a brass body. Keep it on your desk to slice open packages, or simply display it as a sharp conversation piece.

Hanayama

DOT Pocket Puzzle

Price$14

That fidget spinner is so last year. This three-dimensional matrix puzzle is a far more attractive way to keep your fingers busy, and its relatively low difficulty is perfectly suited for novice puzzlers. Once you’ve cracked the code, the DOT becomes a clever challenge for all those chatterboxes who stop by your desk to sabotage your productivity.

Savage Industries

EDC Two

Price$175

This tool bag from Mythbusters host Adam Savage is based on Neil Armstrong’s McDivitt tote. But while the astronaut’s lunar pack was pure white, Savage’s newest satchel is deep-space black. Each bag is sewn from repurposed sailcloth by San Francisco's Mafia Bags, so it’s durable enough to take your lunch, headphones, and bike lock to the moon and back.

Ultimate Ears

Boom 3

Price$150

UE’s Boom series has topped our list of favorite Bluetooth speakers for a few years running. The shiny new Boom 3 inherits that portable party crown. It’s the same size as a tallboy of Budweiser, but it sounds like a magnum of Veuve Clicquot—which is to say, outstanding. The waterproof design (it floats!) comes in a variety of beach-ready colors.

Prana

Cozy Up Sweatshirt

Price$79

Step out of yoga class feeling fresh in this odor-minimizing sweatshirt made from a moisture-wicking blend of recycled polyester, hemp, and Tencel, a material derived from wood pulp. The addition of fleece lining lends a hint of luxury, and stitching details elevate the silhouette from schlubby sweatshirt to Savasana chic.

Herman Miller

Cosm

Price$895

You won’t find many knobs or levers on the underside of Herman Miller’s new Cosm chair, but rather a four-point suspension system that constantly tilts and adapts to keep you balanced. The flexible Y-shaped frame and one-piece mesh seat offer responsive support as you fidget during those endless conference calls.

Dyson

Cyclone V10 Absolute

Price$600

Our go-to stick vac gets a reboot with Dyson’s latest sucker, the V10. New to the mix is a torque-drive head with a motor inside the rotating brush, designed to give carpets and hardwood floors a more thorough scrubbing. A larger bin and an increased run time of up to an hour can handle even the gnarliest holiday-party messes.

Norlan

Rauk Heavy Tumbler

Price$50

Your rarest whiskey deserves a most worthy vessel. Molten crystal is formed into this curvy, faceted, 1 1/4-pound chalice, then a unique process cools the varying thicknesses at different rates to keep the glass from cracking. Prefer an old-fashioned? The ridged bottom grips your ingredients for superior muddling.

Brilliant

Two Switch Panel

Price$349

Programming your smart home from your smartphone is easy, but what does your family do when you walk off with the all-in-one door lock, music player, and TV remote in your pocket? Brilliant’s two-switch touchscreen panel lets everyone turn on the lights, crank up the Sonos, switch off the thermostat, and bark at Alexa.

Espro

Ultralight Travel Press

Price$40

This multitasking travel mug has a French press inside that brews coffee or steeps loose-leaf tea. Prepare your concoction right in the cup, or pour in your elixir of choice. Drinks stay hot (or cold) for hours, thanks to double-wall vacuum insulation. And at just 1 pound, the Espro won’t weigh down your adventures.

Microsoft

Surface Go

Price$399

If you’re not yet sold on the tablet PC future, try the Go, Microsoft’s 10-inch touchscreen computer with a kickstand. Pair it with the Type Cover ($100 and up) and the Surface Pen ($100) for easier swiping, tapping, and doodling, and you’ll see how well the tiny Go fits—and works—in places other Windows machines can’t.

iFixit

Pro Tech Toolkit

Price$60

Why wait for tech support? This handy kit from the nerds at iFixit contains all the tools you need to replace or repair parts deep inside your devices. With an 87-piece suite of bits, tweezers, drivers, and spudgers, you can MacGyver pretty much anything from a current-gen iPhone to your vintage NES.

Death's Door Spirits

Wondermint

Price$26

Crack open this bottle of schnapps for an aperitif, or simply freshen up your bar cart with its bright aqua-green hue. The Wisconsin craft distillery Death’s Door Spirits uses a special blend of peppermint extract, almond, rosewater, and absinthe to create the minty flavor. Enjoy it neat, mixed with hot cocoa, or as the highlight of a Mint Mule.

KEF

R3

Price$2000

The flashy metal cones on KEF’s newest speakers can’t camouflage their smartest design detail: The concentric driver nestles the tweeter at the center of the mid-range speaker, creating a single acoustic point of origin for the high and mid frequencies that keeps your Floyd from getting flabby. Hook them up to your stereo and they’ll intensify every track on your playlist.

Fujifilm

XF10

Price$429

Phones make convenient shooters, but even the best of them can’t beat a real camera for quality. This point-and-shoot packs DSLR-grade imaging into a trim body. With its 28-mm-equivalent lens and gorgeous film simulation modes, the pocketable XF10 is well suited for candid street photography, landscapes, and portraiture.

Oloid

in Brass

Price$120

This precision-machined, 2-inch-tall brass sculpture by artist Pat Kim rolls across a flat surface with a gentle push. Based on the dual-circle oloid shape discovered by inventor and mathematician Paul Schatz in 1929, this update is the perfect desk-topping gift for the contemplative (or procrastinating) creative in your life.

Samsung

65-Inch Q8FN 4K TV

Price$2300

This set is primed for movie night: It can accurately display the panoply of colors supported by the film industry’s DCI-P3 projection standard. And when you’re streaming 4K encoded for HDR playback, its backlight control handles extreme lights and darks—Black Panther’s nighttime car chase will thrill, even in bright rooms.

Eames

Radio by Vitra

Price$999

It’s easy to buy an Eames chair; the design duo made scads of them, and they’re still in production. But their 1946 table radio was never manufactured—until now. The revived radio gets a 21st-century update with the addition of Bluetooth connectivity. Fewer than 1,000 have been made; it’s a true Eames original.